James Cameron Working on New "Terminator" Script Inspired by Rise of Actual AI

It kinda makes sense.

Judgment Day

Famed director James Cameron has revealed that he's working on a script for the next "Terminator" installment — and it'll be inspired, this time, by the rise of actual artificial intelligence in the real world, like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Cameron, who created the franchise in 1984, says he has some lingering questions about the emerging tech before he's ready to wrap up his draft.

Speaking at the Dell Technologies World 2023 event this week, Cameron said that he's "holding off on finishing [the script] until the direction of AI becomes clearer."

Let's just hope Skynet doesn't launch the nukes before then.

Dark Fate

Given how the latest installment, "Terminator: Dark Fate," absolutely bombed at the box office back in 2019, Cameron is clearly looking for a fresh start. And digging into some real-world inspiration surrounding the rise of AI tech could arguably make for a compelling summer blockbuster.

Besides, the franchise's neural network-based superintelligence system Skynet has already been invoked countless times by the media in its coverage of the emerging tech.

In other words, flipping the script and having fiction be inspired by reality, not the other way around, could inject some new life into the ailing franchise.

Just like Skynet in the iconic first installment "The Terminator," experts are already jumping to conclusions, warning that AI may eventually come to kill us all.

In 2023, however, the reality looks quite different. For instance, an experimental AI called ChaosGPT, which was designed to "destroy humanity," fell flat on its feet almost instantly.

Researchers have also revealed that they absolutely hate how the franchise portrays AI systems.

In many ways, Cameron will have to dig deep to find some inspiration, because having a protagonist chat on a computer with an AI assistant doesn't exactly make for compelling movie magic.

As for "Terminator" legend Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, he more than likely won't "be back" for an AI-focused installment.

"The franchise is not done. I’m done," he told the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. "I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to 'The Terminator.'"

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